National Teacher Forum -- Day 3

We heard from two more incredible teachers and leaders this morning:

Mary Beth Blegen (1996 National TOY - from Minnesota)
Sarah Brown Wessling (2010 National TOY - from Iowa)

All I can say is WOW! These two women are so passionate about teaching, and are such powerful voices in the profession. Getting to know them, as well as the other state and national Teachers of the Year, has been the best part of this experience because I have come away with such a positive outlook on teaching and education in this country because these incredibly creative and determined people are in every state. Education in the US is in good hands and it will improve with these people taking leadership roles and leading teaching and America's schools into a new era.

In the afternoon, we went into the town of Princeton and I got the chance to walk around Princeton University. An absolutely beautiful campus with such a rich history and tradition, but what those old brick buildings taught me in my short afternoon stroll was that I never want to stop learning. I am a lifelong learner. Learning is fun and exciting and I wished for this afternoon that I was a student at Princeton, which made me think of the incredible professors that these students have in their courses -- true masters in their fields. Tying it together, I want to keep learning better ways to make my classroom, and the learning it it, more fun and exciting, so my students have this same attitude about learning.

Next it is off to New York City for the second part of our conference!

Cheers!